


Alleyway

by sunaddicted



Series: Superbat October Drabbles [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Batfamily Feels, Character Study, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Relationship Study, Rescue, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: "You know the rules"No other heroes were allowed in Gotham without the Batman's explicit say so."Your hands were tied""Not as tied as you like to think"





	Alleyway

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: alleyway
> 
> The original idea was to bring the rating up a little but my brain decided to keep it PG-13 in the end *shrugs*

_Alleyway_

Superman rarely got away with saving Batman - except for when the man was trapped in his Brucie Wayne persona, forced to stick to the part and act like the cowardly and spoiled billionaire he presented himself to be so that he wouldn't accidentally ruin his cover.

Certainly, he couldn't knock out the Scarecrow in front of Gotham's elite - especially when he had been stumbling around just a few minutes before, the same glass since the beginning of the night clutched in his trembling fingers as if it was the nth drink.

That wasn't the kind of news Brucie ended up on the gossip papers for, no: it always was a rumour about some new heiress he was supposedly dating or an analysis of what he was wearing.

Bruce was right: people rarely saw what was staring at them right in the face, they were proudly unobservant. Which really was the only reason why neither of their secret identities had been compromised, yet; true, Bruce wore a cowl and it was a better disguise than just a pair of glasses but if a kid like Tim Drake had been able to piece all the clues together, certainly someone else could - if only they paid enough attention.

Clark swooped in a secluded and dark alleyway: it wasn't very descriptive, of course - all alleyways in Gotham were dark and filthy, perfect breeding grounds for the city's out of control criminal underworld.

Gotham could use some light.

Some hope.

But even its hero and protector was a Dark Knight, someone Gothamites would - and could - tear down without a moment's notice in an attack of public hysteria.

Someone flawed.

Someone dark.

Superman doubted that any other hero would have survived Gotham as well and for as long as Batman had; only his protegees were adequate contenders to the title and, one day, one of them would pick up the cowl and become the shadow of their father. It wasn't something Clark liked to think about, part of him refusing the thought that he would live so much longer than the man he loved... but he would look upon his children, introduce them to the League as the Batman when one of them finally stepped up into such big shoes to fill - everyone seemed convinced that Dick would take Bruce's place, seeing how the young man had already acted as a substitute for Bruce in case of need. But Clark knew him well: he would never give up being Nightwing.

No, Damian was going to be Batman.

And he was going to be goddamn good at it.

"Let me go"

Superman shook himself out of his morose thoughts and he gently put Bruce down, giving his back to the entry of the alleyway to make sure nobody saw them standing together in the dark "You okay?"

"Of course"

"Scarecrow didn't gas you?"

Bruce shook his head "You got here before he could do anything much more than boring me to death with one of his endless speeches about fear"

He sounded so cocky - so self-assured. And while he had every right to be considering all the times he had taken the Rogue down, Clark couldn't help remembering all the night spent by the other man's side as he trembled as sweated out the Fear Toxin "Good"

"Why are you here in Gotham?"

"Nightwing is in Blüdhaven, Red Robin is off-world for a mission with the Titans and the last time I checked, Robin was with Superboy at the farm" he didn't name Red Hood; Bruce didn't need to be reminded of the fact that one of his children couldn't be trusted to help him out - their relationship was difficult enough without Clark shining a light on their issues.

"Black Bat could have handled it"

Except that they both knew Bruce would never voluntarily expose Cassandra to Scarecrow "Are you fishing for an apology?"

"You know the rules"

No other heroes were allowed in Gotham without the Batman's explicit say so.

"Your hands were tied"

"Not as tied as you like to think"

Clark sighed and pushed Bruce closer to the cold wall, leaning in so that his lips were against the other's lobe: Gotham had millions ears, hidden in every nook and cranny - caution was never enough "I love you, Bruce. Sometimes controlling the impulse of taking care of you isn't the easiest thing to do, alright?"

Bruce sighed, hands going to the broad shoulders keeping him hidden from the yellowish lights that shone in the main street, their beams reflected in the puddles that dotted the pavement - remains of a storm that had raged for the whole afternoon.

His breath misted between them: the water surely was going to freeze over during the night.

The cold didn't bother him much at the moment, not when Superman was standing in front of him and emanating warmth like a human-sized radiator.

"Alright"

"Alright" Clark brushed their noses together "Do you want me to fly you home?"

"I want you to kiss me"

And that was a request Clark could easily grant; it didn't take much adjustments to bring their lips together in the perfect position and when he kissed the other man, he tasted of chocolate truffles and the barely-there hint of champagne.

Perfect.


End file.
